Detonating device



June 18, 1957 H. E. RUPPEL 2,796,025

DETONATING DEVICE Filed April 15, 1955 INVENTOR.

i atentecl June 18, 1957 DETONATING DEVICE Harold Eugene Ruppel, Fort Wayne, Ind, assignor to The Magnavox Company, Fort Wayne, End, a corporation Application April 15, 1955, Serial No. 501,645

Claims. (Cl. 102-703.)

This invention relates generally to electrical detonators for projectiles or other missiles, and more particularly it relates to apparatus for generating electrical impulses in response to penetration of metallic targets by the projectile or missile.

It is conventional to use electrical detonators in projectiles or missiles, but they usually require a source of electrical potential and are usually actuated at the time of impact with a target. Where the target is an aircraft having a metallic skin or hull, explosion of a projectile upon impact with the skin or hull tends to exert explosive forces on the exterior surfaces of the skin rather than within the aircraft. Thus, a relatively large projectile is required to achieve sufficient destructive force to completely disable an aircraft.

Accordingly, the principal object of this invention is to provide an electrical impulse generator, for use with electrical detonators, which is adapted to respond to spinning movement of the impulse generator through the skin or hull of the target as contrasted with conventional devices which respond to impact on the skin or hull of the target.

'In accordance with this invention there is provided in combination with the casing of a projectile a magnet mounted radially of the longitudinal axis of said casing, a coil wound on said magnet, and a detonator responsive to electrical currents induced in said coil when the magnet passes through a metallic part of the target.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation view of a projectile having incorporated therein a magnetic impulse generator.

Fig. 2 is a partial longitudinal cross section taken on line 2 -2 of Fig. 1.

This invention consists of an electrical impulse generator mounted in the casing of a projectile. There is provided a conventional projectile having a casing member 11. The entire projectile 10 may be of any conventional form except with respect to the detonating mechanism for initiating the powder charge after the projectile impacts a target.

An electrical detonator 12 may be mounted in any suitable fashion within casing 11. At least one permanent magnet element 14 may be mounted inany well known manner radially with respect to the longitudinal axis of casing 11 for operating detonator 12. A coil 15 of conductive wire may be mounted around the magnet 14 and secured to casing 11 in conventional manner.

Coil 15 may be conducted to detonator 12 by means of conductors 16 and 17.

If a single permanent magnet 14 does not provide suflicient current to operate a given detonator, other magnets such as 18 may be mounted radially of the longitudinal axis of the projectile casing; and each magnet may be provided with an associated coil 19. Each of the added coils 19 may be connected in parallel to conductors 17 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2.

'In operation, it may be assumed that the invention is applied to a spinning type of projectile. When the projectile impacts a metallic object such as the outer shell of a target such as an aircraft or tank and passes through that shell, the electromagnets such as 14 and 18 will cause magnetic flux to pass through the metal shell of the tank. Of course, the projectile will be spinning as it passes through the shell of the tank, and the magnetic lines of flux emanating from the ends of the magnet will be distorted or disturbed to a marked degree, resulting in the generation of a strong current impulse in each of the coils 15 and 19.

The magnetic structure consisting of magnet 14 and coil 15 becomes something similar to a transformer at the moment that the magnet passes through the metallic shell of the target. The shell of the target may be considered a single turn primary winding, while the coil 15 may be considered a secondary winding having a relatively large number of turns. Hence, a relatively high voltage is generated in coil 15.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that this invention provides an electrical detonating apparatus wherein at least a portion of a projectile penetrates the outer skin or hull or wall of a target before detonation can occur. Since the detonating mechanism may be located to the rear of the warhead of a projectile, no detonation will occur until the warhead has penetrated the target.

This invention also provides electrical means for detonating a projectile which is self-energizing and provides a relatively high useful current without the use of batteries or other sources of potential within the projectile.

The invention claimed is:

1. A detonating device for projectiles having an outer casing comprising, a plurality of permanent magnets mounted radially of a common center in the outer surface of said casing with at least one end thereof exposed, said magnets being located to the rear of the nose of the projectile, and .a multi-turn coil winding surrounding each permanent magnet and mounted flush with the exterior surface of said casing, said coils being connected electrically in parallel.

2. A detonating device for projectiles having an outer casing comprising, a plurality of permanent magnets mounted radially of a common center in the outer surface of said casing with at least one end thereof exposed, and a multi-turn coil winding surrounding each permanent magnet and mounted flush with the exterior surface of said casing.

3. A detonating device for projectiles having an outer casing comprising, a permanent magnet mounted radially of the longitudinal axis of said casing, and a multiturn coil winding surrounding said permanent magnet and mounted flush with the exterior surface of said casing.

4. A detonating device for projectiles having an outer casing comprising, a means mounted transversely of said casing for generating a magnetic field extending beyond the outer surface of said casing, and a pickup coil located within the magnetic field of said means and within said casing and responsive to spinning motion of said casing when penetrating .a conductive surface for converting changes in said magnetic field to an electrical current within said coil.

5. A detonating device for projectiles having an outer casing comprising, means located in said casing transversely thereof for generating a magnetic field transversely of and beyond the outer surface of said casing, said means being located to the rear of the nose of said casing, and means responsive to changes in said magnetic field resulting from spinning motion with respect to a conductive portion of a target for generating an electrical current.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,403,567 Wales July 9, 1946 2,719,486 Plumley et al. Oct. 4, 1955 

